1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combination tube support assembly including a support member having various portions and a tubular support means which may be secured to the support member utilizing a snap fit such that wound fin tubing is maintained in a preselected position as well as providing structural support for a heat exchanger.
2. Prior Art
Wound fin heat exchangers are well known in the refrigeration and air conditioning fields. A wound fin heat exchanger consists of a tube having a fin material wrapped about the tube in heat exchange relation therewith to promote heat transfer between the fluid flowing through the tube and a separate fluid flowing over the tube. Utilization of this type of heat exchanger has been found to be both cost effective and to provide the appropriate heat transfer surface with a minimum of tube length. A type of wound fin tubing includes slit fin tubing wherein a sheet of fin material is slit laterally and then rolled to a generally U-shaped arrangement such that the non-slit portion is wound against the tube and the slit portions extend outwardly therefrom.
To make advantageous use of wound fin heat exchangers it is necessary that the heat exchanger be configured to optimize heat transfer. Once the appropriate configuration is ascertained, the wound fin tubing should then be maintained in that configuration for the life of the heat exchanger. There have been several methods used for mechanically securing loops of wound fin tubing comprising a heat exchanger. Heretofore used methods in the air conditioning industry for securing adjacent loops of a wound fin heat exchanger include using adhesives or mechanically deforming the coil beyond the point of elasticity such that a new configuration is maintained.
Another method of securing the loops of wound fin tubing is to provide a support means including loop receiving portions for receiving the wound fin tubing and a tubular support secured through openings in extensions from the support means to secure the runs of tubing between the tubular support and the support means. One of the disadvantages of this arrangement is that the tube must be inserted through the openings in all of the extensions to secure the runs of tubing. This results in more damage than necessary to the wound fin heat transfer surface.
Additionally, this prior art tube support was designed to be mounted in a vertical arrangement to provide structural support for a unit. The extensions all extended horizontally and provided openings such that the tube would extend vertically and be engaged at each end to a structural portion of the heat exchange unit. The herein support assembly is designed to be mounted generally at an angle inclined slightly from the main axis of the heat exchanger. Additionally, the tubular support member is sized and the extension portions are arranged such that rod receiving slots are provided to receive the tubular support in a snap fit arrangement such that the rod may be snapped into position to secure the runs of wound fin tubing with a minimum displacement of the wound fin heat transfer surface. Additionally, the tube support as disclosed herein is designed to be mounted to a vertical partition such that an end of the tube support and a tubular support means are angled to mate normal to the vertical partition while the remainder of the support and of the rod are bent to the appropriate tapered angle desired for the heat exchanger. Consequently, the tubular support means is inserted through the fixed opening at one angle and the bent portion is snapped into extension portions to secure same for maintaining the runs of wound fin tubing appropriately positioned between the tubular support means and the support member.